1 Chronicles 14:1-17 - Established Kingdom under God

1 Chronicles 14:1-17

David Established at Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:11–16)

1 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, with masons and carpenters, to build him a house. 2 So David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.

3 Then David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David begot more sons and daughters. 4 And these are the names of his children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

The Philistines Defeated (2 Samuel 5:17–25)

8 Now when the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went out against them. 9 Then the Philistines went and made a raid on the Valley of Rephaim. 10 And David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?”

The LORD said to him, “Go up, for I will deliver them into your hand.”

11 So they went up to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there. Then David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 12 And when they left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.

13 Then the Philistines once again made a raid on the valley. 14 Therefore David inquired again of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; circle around them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. 15 And it shall be, when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 16 So David did as God commanded him, and they drove back the army of the Philistines from Gibeon as far as Gezer. 17 Then the fame of David went out into all lands, and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.

King David knew the kingdom was established with him as king over God’s people Israel when he looked around at how the LORD had exalted the nation and brought help and a name in both victorious battles and prosperous expansion.  But it was not for their own prosperity or gain, but for the people of God’s sake and honor in all He did for them to give the glory to His name and not their own.  The king himself prospered with many sons and daughters, though he had wandered from the original design of marriage established between one man and one woman (Genesis 1:27, 2:22, 24, 5:2) in the day of man’s creation.  The LORD then used David to defeat the ungodly who blasphemed God’s name with idolatry and immorality, beginning with the Philistines.  He did not attack them arrogantly but in humility, asking God if he should attack those seeking to kill him and invade Israel.  The LORD told him to do so because He would win the battle, handing them over to David’s hand to defeat in His name and not his own to make it clear that the battle always belongs to the LORD.  They attacked, the Philistines ran away and left their deaf and speechless idols behind for David to burn as to destroy the very idea of worship to false gods (Exodus 20:3, 34:14, Isaiah 44:6, 9, Romans 1:22-23, 1 Corinthians 12:2) of man’s own hands.  God then had David and the army of God listen to and follow His tactics to circle the enemy and wait for God to stir up the wind as a signal to attack the enemy when they were prepared for defeat.  God went before them, just as He does now in the proclamation of the gospel by preparing hearts to either hear or reject and face judgment accordingly.  We do not deliver anyone from the enemy; God as Spirit does the inner work of the battle for men’s souls as Nicodemus (John 3:3, 8, 14-15, 18) was told by the Lord.  Jesus establishes His unseen Kingdom, not an earthly one, in us (Luke 17:21, Colossians 1:27) under God through the victory (1 Corinthians 15:57) that He won on the tree of His self-sacrifice and which we receive and participate in by faith as we fight the good fight of the battle for liberty from sin’s eternal consequences.  The battle still belongs to the Lord!